Hey GirlMoguls – Our friends over at SweetyHigh, the cool social networking site for tweens were able to snag a spot at the red carpet premiere of Disney’s Prom Movie. We couldn’t get there ourselves, you know (too busy saving the world) but we thought YOU might enjoy taking a look – check it out…

Hey GirlMoguls – It’s Girlmogul Lily here – have you noticed that the grownups in your life might seem a bit stressed lately? Well that’s could because it’s tax time – yup – annual personal income taxes are due in the United States on April 15th. This means that most Americans need to spend a bit of time going over their personal finances and filling out some paperwork – either online or in paper.

Tax day is an accepted ritual for most Americans, but I was wondering how it got started. Luckily I was able to find a tax expert to explain it all. Kate Kelly is a writer and historian who loves digging into our past and making it come alive – you can check out her site at http://americacomesalive.com/ for more fun facts about the past – and read below to understand just what TAXES are all about.

Governments, like people, need an income in order to pay for what is needed, and as you can imagine, wars are one of the most expensive undertakings a country can take on. For that reason, the beginning of our system of having our income taxed has its roots in the Civil War. President Lincoln and Congress created a commissioner of Internal Revenue to collect taxes on income; it was repealed ten years later.

In 1894, Congress attempted to revive the income tax but it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution made the income tax a permanent fixture in the U.S. tax system. The rates of taxation have varied widely over the years.

One of the biggest changes in the system came in 1943, when Congress passed a law that permitted companies to withhold taxes on wages, and this was vitally important in helping to fund World War II.

While the majority of Americans are resigned to the fact that they are going to have to pay taxes each year, in reading old newspaper reports about people paying their taxes, I found one story about a couple who actually embraced it: On April 15, 1951 a 70-year-old couple in Syracuse, New York received a $27 refund check for an income tax overpayment. They returned it to the Internal Revenue Collector, explaining their refusal to accept it as being due to their thankfulness for “the opportunity to continue working.”

To read more about America’s past, please visit www.americacomesalive.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericaComesAlive. Kate’s website is also a wonderful resource for parents and families, providing little-known stories of America’s past and information for sharing our rich heritage with children, so be sure to check it out!

Hey GirlMoguls, it’s Lily here and we just wanted to give a shout out to a great cause and spread the word about the KaBoom Movement – and nope it has nothing to do with fireworks. It’s a movement to make sure that kids have access to safe playgrounds – for unstructured, outdoor play.

Now, you might think you’re too old for a playground – but remember how good it used to feel – the ability to run free, swing like crazy and be a loud as you want? Well, more and more kids today don’t have access to that kind of “unstructured” play – which means that they have to sit inside and watch tv, or if they’re lucky, run around inside all day.

But KaBoom is a movement that works to make safe playgrounds in every neighborhood – whether it’s putting in a a new or fixing up an old one. They also keep a searchable list of local parks and playgrounds.

Do you know why outdoor play is so good for kids of all ages? Here are just a few reasons:

Kids who play are healthier. Kids who play are less likely to be obese and develop obesity-related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

Kids who play do better in school. Kids who play develop the cognitive skills that are positively linked to learning and academic performance.

Kids who play, play well as adults. Kids who play build their confidence and learn the social skills that help them become happy, well-adjusted adults.

So even though your playground days may be behind you (but c’mon, we dare to see how good getting on the swing feels), you can help other kids by supporting local playgrounds. Here’s what you can do:

– If you want and with your parent’s permission, you can sign the Kaboom at their website, and help map your local playgrounds: http://kaboom.org/pledge/moms

– Check out the Kaboom site for ways to take action – like writing a letter to the paper, throw a play party, or or organizing a clean up day – Check out all the ideas here: http://kaboom.org/take_action

– Join in PlayDay 2011 – perhaps organize a group of younger siblings or neighboorhood kids to get in on the play – Find out more here: http://kaboom.org/take_action

As you know, as GirlMoguls we believe helping out the community is a top priority – (hey you can read all about how we did it our town of Weston here: http://girlmogul.com/Saving-Hannah/) and we think making playgrounds safe, cool and available is a great project for GirlMogul. Be sure to tell us about your favorite playground fun in the comments below!

Hey GirlMoguls – it’s back to school time and maybe you’re starting a new school – maybe you’ll be going with a group of new friends, or maybe you’re going to walk into class that very first day solo and you’re sweating it – just how are you going to make friends? Are you worried you’re too shy? Here are some great tips on how to be friendly:

Don’t stress being shy – after all, everyone, even the most outgoing person, feels shy at times. All you need to make friends is to get your confidence on – and you don’t need to show up – just try a simple smile and hello to the kids in your class. Once you get that down – and get a few smiles and hellos in return your can go for the next step

Strike Up a Conversation – it doesn’t have to be a long one. You could even script it out in front of your mirror at home. You could compliment someone’s outfit or accessory, or maybe commiserate about the killer English homework. A small conversation starter might lead to a longer talk

Get Involved – If you want to make friends, but aren’t sure where to start, consider joining an after school club or class where you’re working on something that interests you – and all the other kids in the club. It’s a lot easier to bond when you already share some common interests – like saving the whales or drawing comics

GirlMogul Adventures #1

Check out the GirlMogul's latest adventure. City girl Rose is stuck in MON - the Middle of Nowhere - for the whole entire summer. It's shaping up to the be the worst summer - ever! But then she finds an old diary - and before she knows it - discovers a secret that may change a town's entire history! Will she and her friends be able to save Hannah in time?